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No-Cook Meals for Summer

(13 Posts)
mischief Tue 18-Jul-17 13:00:14

When summer arrives the first thing we do is get out the barbecue and cook the hottest meals. It seems silly to me. I would much rather eat meals that do not require cooking but at the same time salads can be a bit boring.

Does anyone have a good no-cook recipe for a good, summer, substantial meal?

ninathenana Tue 18-Jul-17 13:25:15

Can only think of things that need minimum cooking. Some that I do are :
Microwave jacket spud with cold chicken n mayo or tuna sweetcorn.
Cold cooked rice, chuck in whatever is to hand.
Cold pasta the same.
Bought quiche ?

mischief Tue 18-Jul-17 14:42:12

That's about all I can think of too, Nina. I do flavoured cooked chicken breasts with cold flavoured rice/beans which is nice. There are quite a few on the internet but I wondered if there were any tried and tested no-cooked meals. It would be a good subject for the Gransnet chefs to come up with something.

TriciaF Tue 18-Jul-17 14:45:15

I make a selection of salads in large quantities and we have them with either cooked meats ( charcuterie) or smoked fish such as salmon, mackerel etc. Salads include rice, couscous etc as well as various veg. and nuts, dried fruit etc.
Lasts a few days.
Today here is baking hot and I made the mistake of using the oven - very unpleasant as it makes the whole kitchen hot.

Primrose65 Tue 18-Jul-17 15:02:47

No cook is tough for me. I do make good use of my slow cooker in the summer though.

Grannyknot Tue 18-Jul-17 15:36:55

Salads aren't boring! smile - beetroot and feta, butternut and rocket, all different nuts, different salad leaves, different variations of tomatoes (Jamie O chucks them all in together), cress, eggs, cheese, dressings made with e.g. clementine juice, haloumi, avocado pears, fruit pears, apples, sweet potato - anything and everything goes into my salads and we live on them in the hot weather.

Oh and home made potato salad is the absolute best, nothing like the glassy, hard stuff that you buy in the shops. Best made with large fluffy potatoes that soak up the mayo. Top with chopped salad onions and a smidgen of mustard in the mayo.

I run a mile when I see cold pasta or cold rice...

Greyduster Tue 18-Jul-17 16:07:35

Chance would be a fine thing! DH has requested toad in the hole for dinner! It's blooming tropical here at the moment!

whitewave Tue 18-Jul-17 16:21:24

I can think of a lot of minimal/easy peasy cook meals as well as the obvious no cook ones similar to * granny* but more easy peasy really.

ninathenana Tue 18-Jul-17 16:25:06

They are if you live with my H Grannyknot grin
Lettuce, toms, cue, sweet pepper and celery zzzzzzz

TriciaF Tue 18-Jul-17 16:35:14

I agree with you, Grannyknot.
Recently I've discovered another one - make a dressing with walnut oil, cider vinegar, mustard and honey, then add sliced redpeppers and radishes.
Cold rice can be soggy, but a friend used to make a tasty salad with rice and sautéed mushrooms.

JackyB Tue 18-Jul-17 20:17:52

Just do sandwiches. There was a thread recently with lots of sandwich ideas.

M0nica Wed 19-Jul-17 19:42:55

Does cooking potatoes count? baked potatoes with summer fillings (tuna & mayonnaise, col slaw)

Boiled new potatoes with butter, tomatoes and either cold ham, cold chicken, quiche or a large slice of pork pie.

Fresh baker's bread, butter and a plate of English regional cheeses from a delicatessen.

mischief Tue 25-Jul-17 09:55:25

All sounds really yummy. I enjoy my salads but because I have had salads for lunch every day for years as part of my eating regime, I just get a bit fed up of them, although they are tasty. I am trying not to eat potatoes/bread (carbs) although I do eat rice with my salads sometimes and they are carbs. I must admit that I use shop bought dressings, mainly through laziness, but those home-made dressings sound delicious. I think I'll make my own from now on.